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Second round of Launch Pad selections includes eight newcomers
The National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory has announced 13 project selections across 12 companies for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, a Department of Energy–led program that integrates reactor and fuel facility authorization, testing, and deployment support for private nuclear developers.
The Launch Pad emerged from the Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program.
According to INL, projects selected include reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle advancements, including fabrication, enrichment, and conversion technologies.
M. Aggleton, S. Bhandarkar, A. Nikroo
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 79 | Number 7 | October 2023 | Pages 786-790
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2194240
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Inertial confinement fusion experiments require a fuel filled target. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), these targets are filled through a capsule fill tube assembly (CFTA). While fabricating these assemblies, it is possible to plug the fill tube with glue, which would render the CFTA and eventual target unusable. Historically, this plugging was first detectable in a finished target after considerable resources had been expended. This paper presents a method for not only detecting a plug in the fill tube before the CFTA is assembled into a target, but also characterizing gas flow through the fill tube, which can help NIF operations prepare to expend each target.